Kat Dahlia, ‘Gangsta’ – Song Review

Miami-based singer-songwriter Kat Dahlia evokes a lot of other stars in her debut single, 'Gangsta,' but molds them all into something her own.

Kat's sound will likely draw the quickest comparisons to Nelly Furtado and Rihanna, though early Lady Gaga (such as the similarly titled 'Paper Gangsta') also come to mind upon listening to the track. The song opens with piano before Kat jumps in spitting, "You say you're a gangsta? That don't impress me none."

Despite her influences, Kat insists her sound is all her. “There’s no other way to stand out than just being yourself,” she says. “I write my own music. People say my voice is very unique and I do this rappy thing that’s kind of different, but if you really want to break it down, I’m just being myself.”

She gets personal in lyrics about her own life and that of her family. One particular lyric hits home for the singer: “No, I ain’t stuntin’ like my daddy / He’s living with my grammy / Used to be a big baller / He’s surviving off of gambling / But I love him, he’s my daddy / Yeah, I love him, he’s my daddy / Put him in a big house before I ever see a Grammy.” Kat's upbringing was one from rags to riches back to rags, and she's hoping to go back to riches through self-expression. If 'Gangsta' is any indicator, she's well on her way to buying that big house for her daddy.